Blueberry farm didn't report injured worker's accident

Gurdev Khakh ingested chemicals after a pesticide trailer tipped over onto him

One of North America's largest blueberry farms is being accused of failing to report a serious injury.

An elderly Indo-Canadian farmworker said his knee was mangled and he ingested pesticides in an accident at the Purewal Blueberry Farms Ltd. blueberry field in Pitt Meadows.

Gurdev Khakh, 68, said he was hit by a pesticide trailer that tipped over onto him in April.

Speaking in Punjabi, Khakh told CBC News that the trailer tipped over onto to him as he was walking beside it.

Gurdev Khakh, 68, said he was hit by a pesticide trailer that tipped over in a Purewal Blueberry Farms field in April. (CBC)

He said he shouted for help: "I'm dying, I'm dying."

Khakh's leg was twisted back, his knee was dislocated, and his shoulder was crushed. He said that as the pesticides spilled onto him, he unintentionally ingested them.

"Who knows how dangerous it was. It made my stomach queasy," he said.

Khahk said he was taken by a supervisor to the security office, but an ambulance wasn't called for two hours. Khahk also said his employer failed to report the accident to WorkSafeBC, as required by law.

Khakh spent a month in hospital and now uses a walker to get around. He has now filed a claim for compensation.